30 ways to seize the end of summer

These toddler-friendly activities will help you savor August

We took the kids to Schulze Lake in Eagan, stood at the water’s edge and experienced a magical summer evening opening up before us.

It was one of those nights when you notice the cast of the light and the warmth of the breeze, when you sink your toes into the sand and time slows, when the kids can just be kids…and so can the adults.

It felt like a storybook scene, as if Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn could’ve marched around the bend at any moment. The kids pranced about in their linen rompers and launched our homemade wooden raft. It felt old-fashioned, timeless – no screens in sight. Just sand, sticks and seaweed.

Rebecca has an amazing eye and quick lens. She caught the entire scene, drawing out the rich textures and golden light. It helps that she’s unendingly patient and fun, leading games with the girls and building a quick rapport.

We came home a sandy mess – exhausted, hungry and triumphant.

The girls will be talking about our beach trip for some time. It didn’t feel like a photo shoot; it felt like an adventure. #everybodywins

It compels me to make the most of these final weeks of summer before the busier clip of fall kicks in.

Whether you count summer’s end as the first day back to school, Labor Day or its official closing on Sept. 22, here’s a list of low-cost, toddler-friendly ways to sweeten its final stretch.